How is the Advanced Diploma in Business English different from a general English course?

The Advanced Diploma in Business English assumes solid general English and focuses on senior-register commercial communication — negotiation, financial writing, board-level presentation. It is calibrated against the Cambridge BEC Higher framework, not a general proficiency test.

Can I sit the Cambridge BEC Higher exam during the Advanced Diploma in Business English?

Yes — the syllabus is mapped against BEC Higher and an optional preparation block runs in the final term. Students sit the exam externally at an approved Cambridge Assessment English centre; admissions can advise on London sittings.

Is the Advanced Diploma in Business English recognised by UK employers?

The Advanced Diploma is a UK Level 5 qualification, and the BEC alignment is well understood by HR teams in multinational employers, law firms and consultancies. Many students cite it directly in promotion applications and internal mobility cases.

Can I do the Advanced Diploma in Business English while working full-time?

Yes. Most enrolled students are mid-career professionals working full-time. The online and distance routes run evening tutorials and weekend role-play sessions, with a flexible final portfolio you build around your real job.

Will the Advanced Diploma in Business English help me work in the UK?

It is direct preparation for senior commercial roles in the UK and with UK-based multinationals. Combined with a UK work visa, the qualification supports applications for manager-level positions in finance, consultancy, technology and professional services.

Advanced Diploma in Business English | LSJHML London | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The Advanced Diploma in Business English at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a twelve-to-fifteen-month UK qualification for working professionals who already speak strong English but need the precision the boardroom and the trading floor demand. You will rehearse high-stakes negotiation transcripts, draft an investor update that survives compliance review, chair a video conference across three time zones, and present a quarterly briefing to a sceptical executive committee.

The Advanced Diploma in Business English is taught in dialogue with the syllabuses of Cambridge Assessment English (BEC Higher) and British Council professional standards. By the end, your English carries the register a senior client expects and the discipline an internal counsel will sign off on.

Key Features

BEC-aligned syllabus mapped against the Cambridge Business English Certificate Higher framework, with optional sit-in exam preparation.
Negotiation transcript laboratory — work from real anonymised commercial deal transcripts to rehearse the language of concession and pushback.
Financial writing module covering earnings releases, board papers, MD&A commentary and investor letters.
Cross-cultural communication clinic — register, tone and turn-taking across UK, US, EU and Asia-Pacific corporate cultures.
Three study modes — on-campus with live executive role-plays, online with synchronous tutorials, or distance learning with structured deadlines.
Portfolio of deliverables — a sample annual report letter, an investor briefing transcript and a recorded conference-call performance.

What You Will Learn

The Advanced Diploma in Business English is structured around the genres a senior professional has to write, read and speak across an average quarter. You graduate able to draft, present and negotiate in English at the level a UK or international employer expects from a manager or specialist.

Executive-register written English — board memos, briefing notes, escalation emails.
Financial reporting language — the vocabulary and conventions of P&L, balance sheet and cash-flow commentary.
Negotiation discourse — hedging, conditional structures, the language of concession and refusal.
Meeting chairing — agenda setting, turn-taking management, summarising and decision-recording.
Presentation craft — opening, signposting, handling hostile questions, closing with action.
Cross-border email register — tone calibration for UK, US, EU and Asia-Pacific recipients.
Pitch and proposal writing — RFPs, bid responses, executive summaries.
Editorial accuracy — grammar at the level a UK communications team or compliance officer will accept.

Who This Course Is For

Mid-career managers in multinational organisations whose technical English is strong but whose written and spoken register needs lifting to senior level.
International MBAs and finance graduates moving into UK or transatlantic corporate roles.
Bilingual account managers in agencies, consultancies and law firms working with UK and global clients.
Executive assistants, communications officers and chiefs of staff drafting on behalf of senior leaders.

Career Pathways

The Advanced Diploma in Business English is a credential employers recognise as evidence of working-language readiness for senior commercial roles. Graduates use it to support promotion, transfer into UK or US offices, or shift into client-facing positions with international remit. Typical roles include:

Business English Trainer (corporate, in-house language unit)
Corporate Communications Specialist (FTSE, multinational, professional services)
Bilingual Account Manager (advertising, PR, consultancy)
International Sales Coordinator (B2B, regulated industries)
Executive Assistant to a senior leader with international remit
Bid and Proposal Writer (consultancy, technology vendor, agency)

Graduates progress to a Higher Diploma in Professional Writing or a Bachelor's top-up in Communication Studies at LSJHML or a partner university.

Entry Requirements

A UK Diploma (Level 4) or equivalent in a related subject, OR completion of secondary school plus one year of relevant work experience.
IELTS 5.5 overall (no band below 5.5) for non-native English speakers.
Personal statement and CV.
Mature applicants (21+) without standard qualifications may apply with three years of relevant work experience.

Why Study at LSJHML

The London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages is a specialist higher-education provider based in central London. Our programmes are designed in dialogue with working professionals — journalists, translators, civil servants, academics, broadcasters, editors, publishers and policy researchers — so what you learn in seminar on Monday is what your future employer is using on Tuesday. We deliberately keep cohorts small, give every student named tutor support, and treat employability as a structural part of every programme rather than an optional add-on.

London is the work — politics, courts, capital markets, theatre, broadcasting, publishing, public service, the global press. Your studies are taught in the same square mile where the stories you read about happen. Whether you join us on-campus, online or by distance learning, the city is your classroom and our industry network is your launchpad.